How To Spar With Your Mattress And Other Home Workout Tips From MMA Fighters

0 Posted by - April 2, 2020 - Martial Artist, MMA, News
Georges St-Pierre works out at home.
Source: GSP’s Instagram account

Are you hitting a wall with your social distance home-based workouts and looking for some inspiration to keep you going? Or maybe you’re crushing your solo martial arts training and are looking for cool new ideas to add to the mix? Wherever you are in your in your life and your martial arts practice right now, we’re hoping this week’s blog will help. 

A lot of us are probably hitting a rough patch in our isolation exercise routines right about now. We miss our training partners and coaches. We’re probably missing the motivation and accountability we got from regularly attending martial arts lessons and sparring sessions, too. If we started strong, the novelty of our new at-home workouts might be starting to wear off a little. Those of us who were finding it challenging to start solo training are probably still struggling to get into the habit. Even martial artists who haven’t had any issues sticking to their routine are probably itching for some new challenges to keep them going right about now. 

Necessity is the mother of invention, though, and these challenges have forced a number of prominent martial artists to create their own at home training routines. Fortunately for all of us, no matter where we are in our personal martial arts practice at the moment, they’ve been sharing their best, most creative, and most entertaining ideas on social media. We’ve collected some of our favorites for the AWMA Blog this week. Maybe they’ll give you new workout ideas. Maybe they’ll keep you on track, or get you back there. And maybe, if you’re really not feeling your best right now, they can make you smile and give you something to work toward when you are ready to train again. 

Bodyweight Training

If you prefer your at home martial arts training and cross-training workouts to be more straightforward and solitary, you’ll want to check out these grappling, striking and bodyweight strength and conditioning workout ideas from some of the UFC’s finest fighters past and present. 

UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin offered this series of wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu drills. (He seems fine doing them on a carpet, but we recommend using a mat for greater comfort and ease of movement.)

https://twitter.com/UFC_CA/status/1242534397703630848?s=20

The legendary Georges St-Pierre has been providing fans with a number of workouts on his Instagram account, including this great lower body and striking routine:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-M_uONJAW6/

Francis Ngannou, currently ranked #2 in the UFC’s Heavyweight division, suggested this full body blast:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SVteqnVHs/

Holly Holm, the boxing great and former UFC Women’s Bantamweight champ, shared a conditioning and kickboxing circuit:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SBWXGJQlB/

UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko’s at home workout drew influences from bodyweight training, grappling drills, and animal flow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SUMRcJbcy/?utm_source=ig_embed

Championship kickboxer turned UFC star Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson provided this core-centric circuit routine. (He uses mats. Which we recommend again.)

https://twitter.com/UFC_CA/status/1243556736583303170?s=20

Training With Family

If you’re isolating with a family member like a child or sibling, consider including them in your workout! A number of UFC parents have been coming up with fun and innovative suggestions for partner training.

UFC Flyweight Montana De La Rosa and her daughter suggested a bodyweight routine… and a bonus dance:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KyxWpDDQ2/

The Karate Hottie Michelle Waterson’s daughter and her very strong core made a guest appearance during this great bodyweight routine:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-NW92Cnu2i/

UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski used his children —and dog! — as training partners, moral support, and makeshift training equipment during his at home workout:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-I2Oeog612/?utm_source=ig_embed

Getting Creative

If you’re looking for something a little more out there, some UFC fighters went the extra mile by building their own training gear out what they had around the house. Or just having a dance party.

UFC Light Heavyweight contender and Ultimate Fighter 19 champ Corey ‘Overtime’ Anderson fashioned a home gym setup out of small exercise equipment. His dog helped:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-Av04pB-6M/?utm_source=ig_embed

GSP made his own chin-up station. The Canadian MMA hero used a hockey stick!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-X1uGiJkH3/

Current UFC Flyweight and international MMA star Roxanne Modafferi turned her mattress into a heavy bag. (AWMA has a range of heavy bags and free-standing bags if you’re not willing to take this step.)

https://twitter.com/Roxyfighter/status/1244727130300108801?s=20

And for something completely different, Wonderboy recreated his favorite aerobic routine/ Key & Peele sketch.

https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1244098083971047425?s=20

Looking for more at home training ideas? Check out our blog posts:

We’ll be back next week to talk about at home martial arts training with small equipment. Until then, take care of yourselves!